Mixer for gaseous fuel



Nov. 4 1924.

W. C. CORTELYOU MIXER FOR GASEOUS FUEL Filed April 30, 192

Patented Nov. t, 192%.

int

OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. CORTELYO'U, 0F OBLONG, ILLINOIS.

MIXER FOR GASEOUS FUEL.

Application filed April 30,

This invention has reference to mixers for gaseous fuel and its object is to cause the breaking up of gaseous or spray-like fuel into minute sub-divisionsfor inter-mixture with air, whereby to facilitate the evaporation of the fuel of initially liquid form so that the inter-mixture of the liquid fuel, (hydro-carbon) with a proportionate quantity of air is particularly intimate.

The invention is designed as an attachment for the intake end of the fuel manifold of a gasoline engine, such for instance as are'em ployed in automobiles, and the attachment is especially adapted for introduction at the discharge end of the carbureter and into the intake neck of the manifold.

The invention compries a cylindrical memher, which may be of sheet metal surrounding and holding a sheet of metallic gauze and the cylindrical member is provided with a circular series of vanes on opposite sides of the gauge sheet anchoring the latter in position and providing propeller-like vanes crossing each other on opposite sides of the gauze sheet in such manner that whirling motion is imparted to the flow offuel tow ard the engine, causing reverse streams of the mixture, whereby these streams are di-' rected first one way and then in the opposite direction, and are forced in exceedingly fine streams toward the engine whereby large quantities of fuel in greatly attenuated form are brought together. This facilitates the inter-mixture, so that there is practically no fuel in liquid form that passes beyond the attachment.

In cold weather great trouble has been experienced in starting gasoline engines, due to the condensing of the fuel on themanifold and cylinder walls and trouble is found, even where the engine is warmed up, in such condensation whereby liquid fuel finds its way into the cylinders.

brought together in such a finely divided state that the fuel is practically all taken up in a gaseous state and intermixed with 1921. Serial No. 465,774.

the air so intimately as to provide a practically perfectfuel in highly explosive condition, this being due to the fine gauze screen accentuated by the agitation of the air and fuel caused by the reverse beatings imparted thereto by the reversely directed blades or vanes, without, however, such blades or vanes rotating bodily.

The structure forming the subject matter of the inventionand reduced to extremely simple form is so constructed that it may be I introduced at'the junction of the carburetor and intake' manifold without any change in the construction of these parts and only necessitating the removal of the screws or bolts holding the two parts together, these screws being usually two in number so that the attachment may be slipped into place and the screws or bolts replaced.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following deto any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be'changed and modified so'long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from pressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure ,1 is an'elevation, with some parts in section, of a carbureter and intake manifold of known form, with the attachment inserted. i

, Figure 2 is an axial section through the attachment. 7

Figure 3 is a plan viewof the gauze element employed. I I I Figure 4 is a plan viewof the element of Figure 2 in display form and omitting the gauze. 1

Figure 5 is an end view of the attachment in condition to be inserted in themanifold,

the salient features of the inventionjas ex- 7 Referring to the drawings, there is shown a carburetor lin conjunction with an intake manifold 2,,ne1ther of which need differ from thenamed parts, as employedv in automobile engines and'hence require no special descriptionpthe showing of the drawings In accordance with the invention, the fuel is so treated that the air and liquid fuel is illustrating a well known form of carburetor and intake manifold in extensive use.

The invention comprisesan attachment .3, for insertion in the intake neck of the intake manifoldQ. of the engine, so that all the air and fuel entering the engine is compelled to pass through" the attachment for action thereby on the fuel fed to the engine, Such fuel is usually hydro-carbon fuel, specifically gasoline although not necessarily limited thereto. Under present day conditions the specific gravity of commercial gasoline is relatively low and consequently such line volatilizes but sluggishly until the fuel is heated to a relatively high degree, so that frequently gasoline engine conditions preclude. the'ready evaporation of the fueland leaves aco'ndition where there is more or less of the gasoline" still liquidon reaching the cylinders, to the detriment of'running conditions and making starting in cold weather very difiicult.

The attachment of the invention comprises an elongated blank formed of an approximately rectangular sheet of metal, bent into a cylinderel having slits 5; 6 in succession with these slits dividing the opposite edges of the blank into blades 7 bent, indicated in dotted lines at 8, toward opposite long edges of the blank atsuch angles that the blades divert the air streams diagonally towardthe axial portion of the attachment. Lodged between thefanblades 7- is a sheet Q'preferably composed of wire'gauze of fine mesh-"and extended transversely ofthe cylinder 4' to practically intervene throughout the whole area of the interior of the cylinder;

Each blade 7 has one edge 10 formed by the slit 6 so located as to be approximately radial to and substantially in contact with the corresponding face of the gauze 9, thus holding the gauze in place, while the slit 5 is shorter than the slit 6, and is approximately parallel with the axis-of the cylinder but the edge of the blade corresponding to the slit 5 is bent out of parallelism so that the'whole blade has a skew posit-ion impart ed to it. This causes'theblade'to have a propeller effect upon the fuel and air passing through the attachment with the blades on one side opposing those on the other side anddisplaced by about half the distance between the two blades.

The relation of the cuts or slits 5 on one side of the blank is such with relation to the cuts 6 on the other side of the blank as-to produce tongues 11 at one end of the attachment and other tongues 12 at the other edge or end ofthe attachment. The tongues 11 bend outwardly" to a small degree so as to c'atchfin thespace between the manifold and the att'achmentinto'the mouth of -the intake manifold. These endsare-somewhat exaggerated in the drawings and may be much less pronounced than the drawings indicate.

What is claimed is:

1. A mixer attachment for fuel fed to explosionengines, comprising a cylindrical member adapted to be introduced into the intake manifold of the engine. and a gauze division plate intermediate of the ends of the cylindrical member, said cylindrical member having opposed inwardly directed vanes or blades located on opposite: faces of the gauze plate and having a lateral inclination about the longitudinal axis of the mixer to impart a twisting motion to the flow of air and fuel passing through the mixer.

2. A mixer for fuel fed to explosion engines, comprising a cylinder with two spaced circular series of inwardly tapering vanes fast to the walls of the cylinder and converging toward the central portion of the cylinder on opposite faces of a centraliplan'e, each vane meeting the peripheryofthecylin'derin a line which forms an oblique angle with the elements'of the cylinder, and a gauze division plate located in-said central plane between the two series of vanes.

3. A mixer for fuelfed to explosion engine's, comprisinga cylindrical body with slits defining triangular opposed vanes or blades extending inwardly from opposite ends of the cylinder incircular series and having a lateral inclination toirn'part oppo site whirling motion to fluid passing through the cylinder, and anintermediately located gauze'partition held in place in the cylinderby the vanes;

4. A mixer for air and fuel'fed' to explosion engines; comprising a cylindrical member adapted to be located in the lIlttl'lKeIl'lfi-hh fold of the engine and provided with two spacedlcircular seriesof taperingvanes; and a gauze division plate lodged between the two se'ries 'of vanes andheld thereby, the small ends of the vanes being directed toward and having a lateral inclination about the longitudinal axi'sofxth'e cylinder, andthere overlapping to impart a swirling motion 'in opposite directions to the mixture traversing the mixer. I

5. A mixer for breaking up and intermingling fuel and air streams. comprising a substantially cylindrical member adapted to be lodged in the intake manifold of an explosion engine, said mixer having a pluralit-y of circular series of vaneswithiii the cylinder, with the vanes of each series overlapping and having a lateral inclination to impart a swirling motiontothe mixture of air and fuel, the vanes of one series being directed oppositely to the vanes of the other series, whereby the mixture is swirled in opposite directions.

6. A; blank fdrl producing: a'miXingstructure for introduction into the manifold of an explosion engine, comprising an elongated sheet of metal with companion pairs of slits entering opposite edges of the sheet, with one slit at approximately right angles to an edge of the sheet and the companion slit at an angle to the same edge and to the first named slit and spaced from the latter, With the slits repeated, to be bent to form two circular series of vanes directed toward the longitudinal axis of the cylinder and tapering toward their free ends to produce vanes for imparting a swirling movement to air and fuel passing through the mixing structure.

7. A blank for forming a mixer to be in troduced into a fuel intake passage of an explosion engine, comprising an elongated sheet of metal with series of pairs of slits entering opposite edges of the sheet, the pairs on opposite edges being in staggered relation, the slits forming each pair converging inwardly but not meeting, the line joining the inner ends of the slots being in clined with reference to the longitudinal central line of the sheet.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

WILLIAM G. GORTELYOU. 

